Vulcanizing machine



Dec. 5, 1939. T. M. KNowLAND VULCANIZING MACHINE Filed Aug. l2. 1937 THOMAS M /f/vowLA/vo dxf/WMZ Lg 2502421635 Patented Dec. 5, 1.939

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VULCANIZIN G MACHINE setts Application August 12, 1937, Serial No. 158,723

6 Claims.

marily to the heating jackets and the primary` object thereof is to provide such heating jackets superior to those hereto-fore known and used.

My improved jacket is preferably of segmental construction and each segment has an arcuate surface located adjacent to and cooperating with the tension band ,where it engages the drum. Each fregment is furthermore mounted for movement toward and from the drum and preferably mounted to pivot on an axis extending along the drum and located intermediate the side edges of the jacket whereby the jacket may automatically seat into full surface Contact with the band. In accordance with another feature of the invention, such Contact is maintained resiliently by springs located rearwardly of each segment and normally urging the segments forwardly and holding their arcuate surfaces in the desired pressure contact with the band. Other features and further details of the invention are hereinafter more specifically described.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompany drawing in which- Fig. l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention,

40 Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing one of the jacket segments in rear elevation,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

'Ihe heavy metal frame of the machine comprises side members Ili of similar shape rigidly connected and supported on a concrete foundation. The frame is designed to support three rolls over which passes a relatively wide steel tension band II in a generally triangular path with a re-entrant loop extending about the periphery of a large vulcanizing drum or cylinder I2 supported by the vframe within the general outline of the path of the band. Two of the band-supporting rolls I4 are located adjacent to and forwardly of the vulcanizing drum, and a third roll I6 is located rearwardly of the drum, the tension band being supported on these rolls and engaging the drum. The band is brought to and held in the desired tension by hydraulic pressure in pressure cylinders I8 acting against the bearings I9 for the roll I6. The drum is rotated slowly in the direction indicated by the arrow and the strip to be vulcanized is fed into the bite formed between the band and the drum las the band leaves the lower roll I4.

The vulcanizing drum I2 is steam heated to vulcanizing temperature as fully explained in Patent No. 2,039,271 granted April 28, 1936, on an application of J. M. Bierer. That portion of the band which cooperates with the drum is engaged and heated by a plurality of segments 26 providing a heating jacket. Each such segment comprises a front plate 22 having an arcuate front surface 24 for engaging the tension band II as illustrated in Fig. 4. Housed beneath a metal cover 26 and heat insulating material 28 at the rear of the plate 22 are steam pipes SII, the elements 22, 26 and 28 being secured together by tap bolts 32 and edge plates 34.

Each end of each segment is iianged at 36 and a roller 38 is carried by each flange midway between the side edges 34 of the segment. Each such roller is arranged to ride in a radial guideway 40 formed in a block 42 secured by bolts 44 to an arcuate flange 46 bolted to a side member I0 of the main frame at 48. The two arcuate anges 46 are spaced outwardly from the drum, are respectively mounted on the two side members I0 and are concentric with the drum. The several segments are located in relatively close relation whereby providing a segmental jacket extending substantially 270 around the drum (Fig. 1) and each segment is mounted for radial movement in its guideways 40 toward and from the drum and for pivotal movement about the yaxis of its rollers 38.

It is desirable that the jacket segments shall have their arcuate surfaces pressed uniformly into contact with the band and with a pressure maintaining a rm contact without causing undue friction therebetween. In accordance with my invention, I secure this contact through resilient means which, in conjunction with the mounting of the segments for radial and pivotal movement, provides such firm and uniform contact. The resilient means is preferably in the form of springs and these springs may be ar- CJi ranged to apply their pressure at any point or points on the segments, such as at the pivotal axis-of the rollers 38 or at opposite sides thereof. In the drawing I have shown two springs 59 at each end ofeach segment and located respectively at opposite sides of a roller 38. These springs are hung by bolts 52 .from the stationary nanges each spring being supported on a bolt between the flange 46 and an angle plate Ell secured to the end of the segment. The springs act to force the segments radially Ytoward the drum and into contactwith the ban'd thereon, and the extent of such movement may be limited by adjusting nuts on the bolts v52.

rhe strip material 5t to be vulcanized is fed into, through and from the machine in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. l, and the band i i is held under constant tension placing the strip under heavy pressure between the opposing surfaces of the band and drum as vulcanizing thereof progresses. These surfaces are heated to vulcanizing temperature and it will be apparent from Figs. l and 4 that the segments are held in firm and uniform contact with the band during the vulcanizng treatment whereby heating the band veiiiciently and uniformly. The curvature ofthe surfaces 2d of the segments correspond to the curvature of the band on the drum and the springs 5t, particularly in cooperation with the pivotal supporting means at 38, provide a pressure which remains constant, uniform and resilient without causing undue friction between ythe band and the surfaces 2t. It will be apparent that the mounting of the jackets for radial movement permits the vulcanizing of belts of varying thickness and the maintaining of the jackets in direct contact with the band ll permits heating of the band by direct contact of the jackets therewith. Thus heating the band makes it possible to keep the band 'and' drum surfaces approximately at the same vulcanizing temperaturesv withfmaximum economy and results in producing a superior product uniformly vulcanized from both sides.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent of the United States is:

l. A continuous vulcanizing machine, comprising a frame, a cylindrical vulcanizing drum thereon, an endless band having an open loop portion passing around a substantial arcuate portion of the drum,- a heating jacket having a concave arcuate surface located adjacent to and adapted to have -direct and continuous surface contact with said loop portion of the band, means for heating the jacket, means fixed to the frame and providing a radial guideway at each end of the jacket land intermediate the side edges thereof, means including rollers riding in said guideways for supporting the jacket for pivotal movement about the axis of the rollers, and means for forcing the jacket radially inward to press said arcuate surface thereof into said surface contact with the loop portion of the band.

2. A continuous vulcanizing machine, comprisinga frame, a cylindrical vulcanizing drum thereon, `an endless band having an open loop portion passing around a substantial arcuate portion of the drum, a segmental heating jacket extending along' the drum and having concave arcuate surfaces vlocated adjacent to and cooperating with said loop portion of the band, means for heating the jacket, two arcuate supporting elements fixed to the frame respectively at the ends of the jacket, means including cooperating members carried by the elements and each segment for supporting each segment on said elements for radial movement toward and from the band and for pivotal movement about an axis extending along vthe drum, and resilient means between said elements and the segments and urging the segments'toward the band and said arcuate surfaces thereof into direct and continuous surface contact with the loop portion of the band.

3. A continuous vulcanizing machine, comprising a frame, a cylindrical vulcanizing drum thereon, an endless band having an open loop portion passing around a substantial arcuate portion of the drum, a heating jacket having a concave arcuate surface located adjacent to and cooperating with said loop portion of the band, means for heating the jacket, locating means fixed to the'frame and lproviding a radial guideway at each end of the jacket and intermediate of the side edges thereof, guide members on the jacket riding in said guideways and permitting pivotal movement of the jacket about a common axis extending through said members at both ends of the jacket, and means for forcing the jacket inwardly to engage said arcuate surface thereof directly and continuously with the band.

4. The machine defined in claim 3 wherein the jacket forcing means includes springs located at opposite sides of said axis.

5. A continuous vulcanizing machine comprising a frame, a cylindrical vulcanizing drum thereon, an endless band having an open loop portion passing around a substantial arcuate portion of the drum, a segmental heating jacket extending along the drum and having concave arcuate surfaces located adjacent to and in position to cooperate with said loop portion of the band; fianges xed to the frame and spaced relatively to each other longitudinally of the drum and extending about the drum in spaced relation thereto, means supporting the segments on the flanges for movement bodily toward and into surface contact with said loop portion of the band, said means supporting the segments with sumcient looseness to permitthe concave surfaces to come into uniform surface contact with the band, means for heating the segments, and resilient means normally pressing the segments inwardly to contact their said surfaceswith the loop portion of the band.

6. A vcontinuous vulcani'zing machine comprising a frame, a `cylindrical vulcanizing drum thereon, an endless band having an open loop portion passing around a substantial arcuate portion of the drum, a heating ljacket having a concave arcuate surface located adjacent to and adapted to have direct and continuous surface contact with said loop portion of the band, means for heating the jacket, `and means including guides ixed to the frame fand pivot elements carried by the jacket and cooperating with the guides for locating the jacket on the frame for movement towardand from the drum and for pivotal movement about the pivot axis of said elements which axis .extends parallel to the axis of the drum and is located intermediate of the side edges of the jacket and outwardly of said loop portion of the band.

THOMAS M. KNOWLAND.

CERTIFICATE CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,182,517. December 5, 1959.

THOMAS M, KNOWLAND.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification ofthe above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows: Page 2, second column, line 2'?, claim 5, for the word "jacket" first occurrence, readv jacket and located outwardly of said loop portion of the band;` and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the' same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of' February, A. D. 19h0.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

